Mrs. Wong's Finishing School, Part 2

MRS. WONG'S FINISHING SCHOOL
by uciboy

BEGIN PART II

Two Weeks Later...

Georgia and May both arrived at Elizabeth's house at the same time.  They
knew that Caroline had come home earlier in the day and they were eager to
see the results of Mrs. Wong's school.  As soon as they sat down at the
kitchen table, Georgia and May both lit cigarettes (Elizabeth was already
half-way through her own).

"How did things go with Caroline at the finishing school," May asked after a
puff on her Virginia Slim.  

The women heard the front door of the house open.  "Well," Elizabeth said
with a wry smile, "you can see for yourself."

When Caroline walked into the kitchen, May could hardly hide her shock at the
poise and grace that Caroline suddenly possessed.  Gone were the Levis and
the T-shirt replaced by a fashionable beige blouse and dark skirt - and all
of it enhanced with what they could see was an expensive pair of earrings and
a gold necklace with a diamond pendant.  Caroline's long hair was no longer
tied in a bun but hung down over her shoulders.  The slouch was gone as she
stood tall and almost glided across the floor.  She was a beautiful 17 year
old princess.

"My, Caroline," Georgia said, "aren't you pretty today."

"Thank you, Mrs. Yeh," she replied confidently.  Turning to Elizabeth,
Caroline held up a silver cigarette case and said, "Mom, I'm out of
cigarettes.  Do you have any?"

"Of course, my dear," Elizabeth said proudly.  "There is a fresh opened pack
by the sink."

Caroline walked gracefully across the room and reached into the pack, pulling
out one of the long Maxes.  Putting it between her lips, she held her head
down at an angle as she brought the flame to the tip, taking a gentle puff
and exhaling through her nose while she filled her cigarette case.  Before
removing the Max from her lips, Caroline hollowed her cheeks in a second puff
- imitating her mother's style - and cocked her head back as she blew a
stream of smoke towards the window above the sink, mesmerized by the sight of
it billowing upwards into the sunlight.  The cigarette dangled between her
fingers by her side as she turned and walked back towards the women at the
kitchen table.

"You must be excited about starting at UCLA this Fall," May asked cautiously,
seeking to survey what other changes there were in Caroline.

"Oh, I've decided not to go to college," she replied whimsically, bringing
the cigarette up to her lips for another gentle puff.  May watched her form a
ball of smoke in her mouth which she quickly snapped back and slowly exhaled
through her nostrils.  "I just don't see the point," she said with a shrug of
the shoulders.  She moved closer to the table and tapped the ash from her Max
into the ashtray, Elizabeth giving a broad smile to her two friends.

"We're gonna go look at gowns later today, right Mom?"

May's eyes opened wide as they focused on Elizabeth who replied to Caroline,
"Of course, honey, just as soon we're done here."


"I want to get the most expensive gown in LA," Caroline said greedily as she
brought the Max up to the corner of her lips for another puff.

"You deserve only the best, my dear."

With a facial expression that said, "of course I do," Caroline turned to walk
out of the room, taking another puff in the process while opening the kitchen
door which swung back and forth, dissipating the cloud of smoke that trailed
behind her.

May and Georgia were visibly impressed.  "I'm taking my Jenny to San Marino
tonight," Georgia remarked with anticipation.  "I can hardly wait to see her
again in two weeks." 

May was still in a state of shock.  "I must admit that I had my doubts, but I
am stunned now at the results in Caroline from Mrs. Wong's finishing school.
What a change in her."

Elizabeth sat erect in her chair, nearly bursting with pride that her
daughter had finally accepted her place in society.  "I take it you are now
ready to include Lilly's name in our ball," she said as she slid Mrs. Wong's
phone number across the table to May.

****************************************************************

Back at May's home, Lilly and Jenny sat together on the bed going over the
dance they were planning for the local Boys and Girls Club.

"How's the fundraising coming on your end," Lilly asked Jenny as she
organized some receipts.

"Pretty good.  I even got my Mom to donate $2,000!"

"You're Mom?!"

"Well, I made a deal with her," Jenny replied.  "I told her I would only go
to that finishing school if she donated some money to help us hire a band."

"Oh man, you're leaving this evening, aren't you?  So are you going to come
back a 'lady?'" Lilly teased.

"Oh, rather darling," Jenny said with a proper accent while pantomiming a
cigarette between her fingers, "and I'm sure I won't have time to play with a
street urchin like you."  Jenny brought her fingers up to her lips and
pretended to take a puff, blowing a gust of air Lilly's way.

"Well," Lilly said with a giggle, "let's find out what you have in store.
Caroline should be home by now - and we need to find out if she can get a
band together for us."


Lilly picked up her cell phone, pushed a few buttons, and heard the ringing
on Caroline's end.

"Hello?" a voice answered.

"Hey, Miss Carolina!"

"Oh, hi," Caroline replied casually.

"Oh, hi?  Is that all you have to say after two weeks away from your best
friends?"

Caroline's tone didn't change.  "How are you, Lilly?"

"That's odd," Lilly thought to herself.  Why does Caroline sound so
unexcited?  "Well," Lilly replied a bit confused, "Jenny and I are here at my
house planning for the fundraiser and we wanted to know if you could come by.
We need to start looking around for a band."

There was a pause on Caroline's end, and Lilly thought she heard the distinct
click of a lighter.  "I'm really busy right now," Caroline replied after a
few seconds.  

"You're busy?  What are you doing?"

"I'm painting my nails.  My Mom and I are going to go shopping and I need to
freshen up."

"You're doing your nails," Lilly laughed.  "All the years I've known you I've
never seen you paint your nails."  Lilly could hear Caroline's mom calling
her name.

"I gotta go," Caroline said blandly and hung up the phone.

With a confused look on her face, Lilly brought the cell phone down to her
lap and pushed the off button.

"What's up with Caroline," Jenny asked while flipping through a magazine.

"I don't know.  She's acting kinda weird."

Jenny looked up at Lilly.  "Did I hear you say she was doing her nails?"

"Yeah, is that bizarre or what?"  Lilly took a drink of her Diet Coke.

"Is she coming over?"

"No," she replied as she slowly picked up the receipts off the bed.  "I think
we may have to find a band on our own."


Jenny threw the magazine aside.  "Don't worry, Lil.  Caroline gets moody like
this.  Maybe she had a fight with her Mom."

Lilly stared blankly at the receipts in her hand.  "She's about to go
shopping with her mom right now."

"Come on," Jenny said without a worry.  "She's just teasing you.  She's
probably a 'formal lady' now after two weeks at finishing school."  Jenny
looked at her watch.  "Which reminds me, I need to get going.  My Mom will
have a shitfit if I'm not ready to go by 4 pm."

Lilly stood up with Jenny.  "Are you sure you want to go?"

"Don't be silly," Jenny giggled.  "What are they gonna do, brainwash me?
Call Caroline in a few days.  She'll be back to her old self."

Jenny and Lilly walked down the grand staircase and gave each other a hug
when they reached the front door.  Just then, May was walking in the door,
returning from Elizabeth's house.  

"Hey girls," May said with a smile. "Jenny, your Mom's looking for you."

Jenny turned to Lilly and put her hand on her shoulder.  "I'll see you in two
weeks."

As Lilly closed the door, she turned to her Mom who had lit a cigarette while
standing with her back to her daughter in the foyer, going through the day's
mail.  "Mom," she asked, "did you see Caroline today?"

May thought carefully before she answered, wondering what she should say.
"Yes dear," she replied with her Virginia Slim hanging from her lips.

"Did she seem...different to you?"

May, her back still to Lilly, gently reached for the cigarette in her mouth
after taking a puff.  "Not particularly," she answered, smoke punctuating
each syllable.  She turned towards Lilly, holding the long cigarette by her
side, wishing her daughter realized how beautiful she herself would look if
she only took up smoking.  "She did mention that she was going out to buy a
gown today.  She's decided to have a debutante ball afterall."

Lilly was shocked.  "A debutante ball?  Caroline is having a coming-out
party?"  Lilly couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"There's still time for you and Jenny to decide to join her," May said as she
threw the mail on a table counter.  "Think about it."


Lilly was speechless.  What had happened to Caroline over the last two weeks?
She watched her mother bring the cigarette up to her lips and turn towards
the kitchen, the tip glowing brightly as she walked down the hall.

END PART II

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